Page:Royal Naval Biography Marshall v4p1.djvu/414

 mast-heads were seen over the land. The squadron then hove-to, and Captain Downie, accompanied by the master, went in his gig to reconnoitre the enemy’s position. At the expiration of half an hour, the boat having returned, the signal was immediately made to ‘bear up and sail large;’ the top-sails of the Confiance were hoisted, and top-gallant-sails set: under this sail, with the jib and spanker, she went into action; hauling close round Cumberland Head, on the larboard tack.

“The Linnet, supported by the Chubb, was directed to attack the enemy’s brig, the Eagle (the van and weathermost of his line); the Confiance was to keep her wind until on the bow of the Eagle, then put her helm a-starboard, and, when ‘yard-arm and yard-arm,’ fire the starboard guns into her, which had been previously loaded with canister, in addition to the two round-shot. When clear of the Eagle’s stern, the Confiance’s helm was to be put a-port; and when athwart the bows of the Saratoga (the senior officer’s ship and second in the line), to anchor, first by the stem, and then with one or both bowers. Our gun-boats were directed to pull up with the greatest expedition, fire once, then board the Ticonderago schooner (the third in the enemy’s line); and the Finch was ordered to support the gun-boats, or carry the Preble cutter, the rear vessel of the American line.

“The Confiance being in advance of the rest of the squadron, the whole of the enemy’s line, including his gun-boats, commenced firing on her when within gun-shot, by which she sustained, with other considerable damage, the loss of her sheet-anchor. The wind heading and then dying away, we were compelled to anchor rather before the beam of the Saratoga, at the distance of nearly half a mile. The small bower cable and spring being shot away the moment the anchor was ‘let go,’ the best-bower was immediately dropped, the spring on which suffered the same fate.

“The action then commenced on our part, the foremost guns bearing only on the Eagle, the midship and after guns on the Saratoga. The Linnet soon after took her station before the beam of the Eagle, and the Chubb having never anchored, passed a-stern of the Linnet, and dropping between the Confiance and the Eagle, and then between that ship and the Saratoga, with her colours struck, prevented the Confiance for some time from firing on the enemy whilst she drifted slowly within the line of fire. At the time the Confiance anchored, our gun-boats were at a considerable distance from the enemy’s line, and pulling up slowly, apparently in confusion, commenced rather a distant fire on the Ticonderago, with the exception of two or three which gallantly and unsupported advanced nearly within musket-shot of their object, but were soon compelled to retire. The Finch, ordered in support of the gun-boats, edging too far to leeward, grounded on a shoal out of the line of fire, and consequently was of no further service in maintaining the action than having in her advance, in conjunction with the gun-boats, hastily forced the Preble to cut and retire in